Watch dealer jailed for sawn-off shotgun attack

LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 16: A statue of the scales of justice stands above the Old Bailey on February 16, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

A luxury watch dealer is starting six and a half years behind bars today for opening fire on a rival’s Range Rover with a sawn-off shotgun.

Joshua Stutter pursued the man in Croydon, south London, after receiving messages claiming he was having an affair with another man’s partner.

The 25-year-old was named in court as the co-founder of Chaps & Co, a company dealing in a range of Rolex, Cartier and Patek Philippe timepieces.

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Social media pages linked to the company claim it is the “first London-based company to specialise in high end time piece rentals”, although the court heard that the watch business he ran together with his girlfriend has since folded.

Stutter, of Tandridge, Surrey, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm to cause fear of violence at the Old Bailey yesterday.

While he did not succeed in injuring his target, there were children playing nearby that could have been harming, leading the judge to impose a jail sentence.

According to reports, Stutter fired twice at the front of the Range Rover before speeding away from the scene in his own Mercedes.

He was arrested with the gun after crashing his car nearby and claims he took the sawn-off shotgun from a friend’s gun cabinet. He said he only wanted to frighten the occupants of the Range Rover and was in fear of the unidentified rival.